ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

World

    • Montana transgender lawmaker silenced after speaking out against anti-trans bill: What to know

    Zooey Zephyr, right, attends a legislative training session at the state Capitol in Helena, Mont., on Nov. 16, 2022. Zephyr, who is one of the first two transgender candidates elected to the Montana Legislature, was intentionally misgendered on April 18, 2023, in a demand by the Montana Freedom Caucus that the state House censure her for comments she made on the House floor about a bill to ban transgender medical care for children. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP, File) Zooey Zephyr, right, attends a legislative training session at the state Capitol in Helena, Mont., on Nov. 16, 2022. Zephyr, who is one of the first two transgender candidates elected to the Montana Legislature, was intentionally misgendered on April 18, 2023, in a demand by the Montana Freedom Caucus that the state House censure her for comments she made on the House floor about a bill to ban transgender medical care for children. (Thom Bridge/Independent Record via AP, File)
    Share
    HELENA, Mont. -

    The latest high-profile example of statehouses deciding who can be heard during legislative debates is playing out in Montana, where a transgender lawmaker has for days been silenced by Republican leaders, despite efforts to speak on various proposals.

    Leaders in the GOP-controlled state Legislature on Monday continued denying Rep. Zooey Zephyr the chance to speak during proceedings on Monday, even after protesters chanted "Let Her Speak!" and forced them to adjourn temporarily. The lawmakers are demanding she apologize for telling colleagues they would have "blood on their hands" if they voted for a bill banning gender-affirming care. Zephyr doubled down on her stand in a speech to supporters gathered on the statehouse steps and vowed not to change course.

    Montana is among a wave of states passing legislation that opponents say could exacerbate the suffering of transgender teens, who are disproportionately plagued by bullying, depression and high suicide rates.

    The measure has passed and is in the hands of Gov. Greg Gianforte, who has indicated he will sign it.

    Here's what you need to know:

    WHO IS THE TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER AT THE CENTER OF THIS?

    Last year, Zephyr became the first openly transgender woman elected to the Montana Legislature -- putting her among a record number of transgender lawmakers who began serving across the U.S.

    The 34-year-old Democrat is from the left-leaning college town Missoula, where she's been a staffer at the University of Montana. She has spent much of her life advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and worked behind the scenes during the 2021 legislative session to help block efforts to ban gender-affirming health care.

    Following her November election, she said she wanted to enlist moderate Republicans to push back on what she called "extreme and dangerous attacks" and help people understand transgender adults like her.

    Instead, she and fellow members of the Democratic minority have been powerless to stop Republicans from passing proposals focused on transgender kids. In addition to legislation banning gender-affirming care for minors, lawmakers also passed legislation that says misgendering or deadnaming students is not illegal discrimination unless it rises to the level of bullying.

    Deadnaming refers to using the name a transgender person used prior to transitioning.

    She has been unfazed by calls from Republican leaders and legislative staffers to apologize, scale back her remarks or calm protesters. In a speech on Monday, Zephyr likened gender-affirming care bans like the one that passed in Montana to "eradication," echoing fears raised throughout the transgender community that stripping transgender youth of access to care endangers their lives and mental health, and attempts to force people and their doctors to maintain their gender assigned at birth.

    WHAT STARTED THIS DISPUTE?

    On April 18, as the House debated the governor's proposed amendments to a measure banning gender-affirming care for minors, Zephyr spoke against the bill while making a reference to the body's opening prayer.

    "I hope the next time there's an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," she said.

    House Majority Leader Sue Vinton, a Republican, immediately called Zephyr's comments inappropriate and disrespectful. That evening, a group of conservative lawmakers known as the Montana Freedom Caucus demanded Zephyr's censure and deliberately referred to her using male pronouns in a letter and Tweet. That's known as misgendering -- using pronouns that don't match a person's gender identity.

    Zephyr previously upset legislative leaders with emotional testimony earlier this session.

    She made a similar "blood on your hands" comment the first time the House heard the bill and has also given emotional testimony indicating bills that attack LGBTQ+ rights will lead to suicide.

    "When there are bills targeting the LGBTQ community, I stand up to defend my community," Zephyr told The Associated Press after she was silenced Thursday. "And I choose my words with clarity and precision, and I spoke to the real harms that these bills bring."

    WHO IS LEADING THE CHARGE TO SILENCE HER?

    Though Montana has long leaned Republican, for years voters crossed party lines and elected Democrats to the U.S. Senate and governor's mansion. But the state has recently shifted rightward. Republicans now command control of state government, which they've used to push legislation restricting abortion and loosening gun laws.

    One reflection of such a shift is the newly influential Montana Freedom Caucus -- a group founded in January that includes at least 21 of the Legislature's 102 GOP lawmakers.

    Its ideological leader is U.S. Rep Matt Rosendale, a hardline conservative who backed former President Donald Trump's false statements about fraud in the 2020 election and was among a core group of Republicans who opposed electing U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.

    Efforts to punish Zephyr originated in the Freedom Caucus, whose members said Zephyr's comments displayed a "hateful rhetoric" and called for a "commitment to civil discourse" -- similar to criticisms leveled against Democrats who were expelled from the Tennessee statehouse for joining in gun control demonstrations.

    Two days after the caucus' letter, Speaker Matt Regier refused to allow Zephyr to speak against a bill that would put a binary definition of male and female into state code. She was blocked from speaking for a second day Friday during discussion of a bill to prevent minors from seeing pornography online.

    Regier said he silenced Zephyr after discussions with other lawmakers. Democrats objected, but the decision was upheld by Republican lawmakers on party-line votes both days.

    WHO IS THE HOUSE SPEAKER ENFORCING THE GAG ORDER?

    Zephyr's punishment has thrust leaders in Montana's Republican-majority Legislature into the spotlight, including Regier, who was elected House Speaker in January.

    Throughout his tenure, Regier, a real estate investor from a northwestern Montana political family, has spearheaded legislation to restrict local governments from enacting gun control measures. He also has sought to tighten restrictions on abortion, including pushing a 2022 ballot initiative that, if passed, could have subjected providers to criminal charges.

    Regier's bill to ban the type of abortion most commonly used after 15 weeks of gestation has passed the Legislature this year. Gianforte hasn't acted on the bill.

    Kalispell, where Regier is from and represents, is the largest city in Montana's deeply Republican Flathead County. Former U.S. President Donald Trump received 64 per cent  of the vote in the county in 2020. County commissioners there opposed mask requirements to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and library directors and staff have resigned over efforts to ban books about gender identity, sexuality and race.

    The region is known for agriculture and as a tourist gateway to Glacier National Park.

    Regier's father, state Sen. Keith Regier, has served in the Legislature since 2009 and is chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. His sister, Rep. Amy Regier, is in her second session and is chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

    SO, HAS ZEPHYR BEEN CENSURED?

    Formally, no, but practically, yes.

    A censure in the Montana Legislature is a public reprimand. The House did not go through that process. However, Regier used his authority under House rules to decide questions of order, privilege and recognition.

    IS THIS RELATED TO THE TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS BEING EXPELLED?

    Not directly, but the dispute reflects tensions and harsh rhetoric around culturally divisive issues -- including firearms, racial justice and rights for the LGBTQ+ community -- that currently dominate much of America's political discourse.

    The Tennessee expulsions stemmed from a dispute over gun control. It drew accusations of racism after Republicans removed two Black lawmakers following their participation in a protest but retained a third lawmaker involved who was white.

    WHAT'S NEXT?

    Regier is expected this week to stick to his stance that Zephyr can't speak on the floor until she apologizes. Zephyr has said she stands by her statements. It remains unknown if conservatives and the Montana Freedom Caucus will keep pushing for formal censure. The Montana Legislature is scheduled to end in early May.

    ------

    AP writer Matt Brown in Billings contributed to this report. Metz reported from Salt Lake City.

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    Canada

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    • The Winnipeg Jets have some huge holes to fill on both offence and defence this season.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A teenager has been charged with multiple offences related to stabbings that occurred in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood last week.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • Michael Ford, Ontario's minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, says he is taking a leave of absence from cabinet to prioritize his health.

    • Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is urging the Alberta government to preserve pieces of the massive Green Line transit project now being dissolved.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    • It's billed as 'Canada’s Largest Halloween Festival' and it's taken weeks to set up over 10,000 carved pumpkins that transform the WinSport bobsleigh track into a spooky spectacle.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • Maplewood Secondary School is scheduled to open Monday after receiving a permit Friday morning allowing 50 per cent of the building to be occupied.

    • Police in western Quebec say a driver has been arrested after almost crashing into a school bus near La Pêche Friday morning.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • A new garden and microforest, years in the making, have been inaugurated at John Abbott College in Montreal.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • Mounties say there was an increased police presence in the Emerald Hills area of Sherwood Park on Friday morning as officers searched for a man who is wanted by police.

    • There are plenty of fun happenings in Edmonton this weekend. It's time to savour that last little bit of the summer season before the leaves really start coming down.

    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • Family, friends and fans of late hip hop artist and battle rapper, Pat Stay will gather at events held in his honour on Saturday and Sunday.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A Manitoba veterinary clinic has two new ways of figuring out what’s causing a horse to be lame.

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A large police presence can be seen outside Regina’s Miller High School on Friday afternoon.

    • A 21-year-old man from Codette, Sask. is facing numerous charges in connection to a fatal crash near Wapella, Sask. Wednesday night that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Alberta woman.

    • Arguments between UR Pride and the Government of Saskatchewan on the Parents’ Bill of Rights will be moving ahead to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan beginning on Monday, Sept. 23.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • A 69-year-old woman from Outlook, Saskatchewan is dead and three people are injured after a truck and SUV collided on Highway 15 on Thursday.

    • A garage fire in Saskatoon’s Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • The timeline is short, but London officials are confident in their ability to submit a strong application for a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub that the province will begin funding next year.

    • A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries following a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle on Friday afternoon.

    • A new outdoor music festival is launching this weekend in London - tickets are still available for the inaugural Fairway Fest at East Park.

    • Provincial police are investigating vandalism in Huntsville after the "senseless destruction" of flower displays along Main Street East.

    • A 17-year-old from Markham is facing serious charges after an August 11 shooting at a party in Caledon.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family’s backyard pool.

    • There is no threats to public safety following an incident involving a gun at a local high school.

    • A LaSalle couple has won $1 million after buying a ticket for the Aug. 13 LottoMax draw.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The Old Man Lake wildfire near Sooke is the only one currently burning on Vancouver Island. It’s a region of the province that this year saw a drastic drop in blazes in the backcountry.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.

    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

    • Animal protection officers in British Columbia have rescued three pit bulls – including one that gave birth to 10 puppies – from a rat-infested home in Kelowna.

    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow CTV News